Metcalf's+Reading+Room

Make your entries in this Reading Room by clicking the discussion tab above, then find the month for which you would like to make an entry, and write in the reply box. Title your entry with the title of the literary work you are writing about.

Why am I writing this?

All writing, especially a book review, demands a real audience. Your entries in this discussion will help other students decide what they want to read next, or what they should avoid. You will want to indicate to your peers the genre (type of work) you have just read. You will want to include enough about the work that someone can get a feel for the story and the way it is written. You want to direct other readers towards or away from reading the book you have just finished.

What should I write?

You might write a brief review of the work, recommending it or not and explaining why, without, of course, giving away the story. You might focus on the setting of the novel, and write about the where and when. You might focus on a character in the work, and explore that character further. You might focus on the theme or main idea of the literary work, and discuss how this was meaningful for you. You could share the way in which reading this book changed your perspective.

Actually, we are leaving this pretty much open to your needs as a writer. Let the form your writing takes reflect what you have to tell us.

How much should I write?

Write at least one well-constructed paragraph. You must proofread and edit your work. Others will be reading what you have to say.